Thursday, January 15, 2009

Tinsel is a glimmer of the past, winking at us through the shadows...it is the soft warm silver of antique Christmas garland...it is the smell of tarnished gold fringe on an old dress in an attic, and the beaded arabesque on that Victorian hat. Like some fantastical currency from an imaginary world, tinsel has a measureless value for it's shimmering beauty.Every once in a while, we are lucky enough to find a few scraps at the flea market, and each little treasure is usually "too good to use". So try to imagine a huge forgotten warehouse of antique tinsel, all socked away in crumbling boxes from the nineteen tens and twenties, so much treasure it is spilling into the aisle ways between stacks up so high... This is TINSEL TRADING!!! This is a real store, not wishful thinking, and it is at #1 West 37th St., in NYC. Tinsel Trading is run by my friend Marcia Ceppos, who inherited it from her Grandfather. On the few times that I can be coaxed onto an airplane, I am usually on my way to see Marcia, her in-store designer, Rosemary Warren, and her fabulous BASEMENT!! I should mention that the basement is generally off-limits, but just take a look around the upstairs shop and it will take your breath away. When I get home, I unpack my treasures. Yards of trim to make ornaments, fringe to add to a paper elephant, little beads that would take the best earrings, and piles of antique brass boullion, which I pull and stretch out around my snowballs. I feel so lucky to know Marcia and Rosemary, and the most fabulous store in the world!

These ornaments were made for my Christmas show using trim from the mysterious basement! Here are more pics of my visit with Tinsel people - the last picture is of me, Rosemary and Marcia. Of course, Tinsel is my New York outlet so I will be doing regular trunk shows there. If you are interested in buying wholesale, Marcia will be showing my new line of originals at the Tinsel Trading booth at the NY and SF gift shows.

Many of these are somewhat limited edition creations, using her wonderful old materials. You can call her for info: (212) 730-1030.